The Brink Of Assimilation
by JJ Rust
Summary: Dr. Who&Star Trek:TNG Xover.  The Doctor and the crew of the Enterprise must stop another attempt to assimilate the Federation . . . but are the Borg truly responsible for this latest attack?
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ This story features the Christopher Eccleston Doctor and is set after after the events in "Star Trek: Nemesis"_

"Why does this happen every time I wind up on a Federation Starship?"

The Doctor spun on his heel and strode up to the invisible energy barrier separating him from the rest of the _USS Enterprise._ He snorted and shook his head.

"Humanity's supposed to be enlightened by the Twenty-Fourth Century."

"Doctor," Rose Tyler muttered as she sat on the bunk fastened to the wall of the brig.

"It's never, 'hello, Doctor. Welcome aboard.' No, it's always, 'there's the Doctor. Let's throw him in the brig.'"

"Doctor." Rose sounded more insistent.

"Don't even offer me something to eat. A beverage at least. We Time Lords may be powerful, but we do need nourishment."

"Doctor."

He groaned and rubbed the back of his head. "Sulu offered me tea when I wound up on _Excelsior. _Kirk didn't even give me a glass of water. Just bellowed, 'what are you doing on my ship?' Then he chucked me in the brig."

"Doctor." Rose's hands slammed down on the bunk.

"It's not like I'm asking for much. Little something to drink. Tea. Mineral water. Starbucks. You know Starbucks is still around in the Twenty-Fourth Century? Sometimes I think the whole universe could suddenly implode and still in some nether region there'd be a Starbucks."

"DOCTOR!!" Rose shot to her feet, scowling, arms akimbo.

"Yes? Something bothering you?"

"Yeah something's bothering me. How about the fact the human race and a couple hundred other races could be wiped out, and you're going on about Starbucks!"

"Ah, yes. Good point." The Doctor pulled out an old pocket watch from his black leather jacket, checked it for a few moments, and nodded. "Someone should be here to fetch us soon."

"How can you be so sure?"

He gave Rose a crocked smile. "I've been through this plenty of times before with the Federation. Ship's security checks my bio-scan, sees that I'm a Time Lord, sees the big blue police box, checks Starfleet historical records, and suddenly realizes I'm . . ."

"Doctor," a flat voice from outside the brig stated.

The Doctor swung around and saw a tall, blue-skinned Andorian with an eternal frown pasted on his face.

"Well, it took you long enough. Yes, I'm the Doctor. This is my friend Rose. Changed appearances and companions since the last time I was involved with you lot. Let's see, it's 2380, so, chronologically the last time you would have dealt with me would be . . ."

"I'm not interested in the history lesson. I've already read your file."

The Doctor's grin broadened. "If you read it, then you shouldn't look so depressed. It's a very exciting read. At least that's what Jadzia Dax said when . . ."

"Quiet," muttered the bored-looking Andorian. "Given the fact every time you have shown up on a Federation ship over the past two hundred years, it's always in the midst of some crisis, Captain Picard wants you on the bridge immediately."

"Ah good." The Doctor nodded to the energy barrier. "So are you going to lower that thing so we can go see him?"

The Andorian grunted and turned to a human with African features manning the horseshoe-shaped console in the center of the room. A blink of blue static flashed around the doorway.

"Thank you, Mister . . ."

"Lieutenant Commander Borzt. Chief of Security. Now come." The Andorian made for the exit. "I assume you're here because of the Borg."

"Yes, the Borg. About that . . ."

"Tell it to the Captain." Borzt didn't even bother turning around to speak to him.

The Doctor followed him into the corridor. He turned to Rose and cocked his head. "See. I told you we'd see the captain soon enough."

Rose rolled her eyes.

The Doctor rocked on his heels as he rode the turbo lift. Rose pressed her back against the wall, arms folded. Borzt looked to be asleep standing up.

When they arrived on the bridge, the Doctor took a quick glance around. Intense looks marked the faces of every being here . . . and there was quite a mix of beings. He spotted a hairy Arboreal-Xindi in the First Officer's chair, a slender raven-haired Betazed to the left of the captain's seat, a Klingon – probably the famous Worf – near tactical and a couple feline Cactians at other consoles.

Even more fascinating was what he saw on the view screen. Between the greenish-yellow planet Amarione Seven and its twin moons hung dozens of spaceships. Federation starships, Klingon cruisers, Romulan warbirds, even a few Cardassian vessels.

_Nice to see all those races banded together._

He wondered, though, if such an impressive alliance would be enough to stop what was coming.

"So. You're the famous Doctor."

The Doctor grinned as a tall bald man approached him.

"Ah. Captain Jean-Luc Picard. An honor to finally meet you." He extended his hand. Picard hesitated, then shook it.

"You'll forgive me if I'm not overjoyed to see you, but in the past whenever you've shown up on starships, trouble soon follows."

"No." The Doctor clasped his hands behind his back. "Usually trouble is already there. I just sort of pop up to lend a hand."

"Well, whatever the case, I don't have time for socializing. We've detected a Borg cube entering this system . . ."

"Yes, the Borg. About that . . ."

"Captain." A tan-skinned woman with smooth features called out from the helm. "Borg cube three hundred thousand kilometers and closing."

"On screen."

The sight of the combined fleet vanished, replaced by the dark cube hurtling through space.

"Red alert. Shields up. All weapons standby."

"Time to intercept twenty seconds," announced a stocky man with olive skin and almond-shaped eyes at the tactical console.

Picard took a breath. "Doctor. I don't believe your arrival on the _Enterprise_ and this incursion by the Borg is a coincidence. Is there something we should know?"

The Doctor nodded. "Indeed. These Borg, you see, are . . ."

"We're being hailed," stated the helmswoman. "It's the Borg."

The Xindi first officer grunted. "I imagine this is where they tell us resistance is futile and we're all about to be assimilated."

"I'm afraid it's not . . ."

"Oh my God," gasped the tactical officer.

All eyes turned to the view screen. A couple more gasps sounded through the bridge, accompanied by some, "Oh my Gods." Others just looked at the image in stunned silence. Rose began rubbing her upper arms. The Doctor bit his lower lip, terror drilling into the depths of his soul.

The grating, mechanical voice echoed through the bridge.

"WE ARE THE DALEKS!! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!! YOU WILL SURRENDER YOURSELVES AND BE ASSIMILATED!!"

_TO BE CONTINUED_


	2. Chapter 2

"This is impossible." The Xindi first officer swung his hairy head toward Picard. "The Daleks are extinct. How can one be onboard a Borg vessel?"

"Yes, Doctor." Picard looked to him. "How is this possible?"

"Unfortunately, we discovered -"

The Dalek cut him off. "SURRENDER!! YOU WILL SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY!! OBEY THE DALEKS!! OBEY!! OBEY!!"

"Your screeching hurts my ears," a gruff voice blurted over the comm channel. Definitely Klingon, the Doctor thought.

"General Tagoth. Please don't . . ."

The general ignored Picard. "I assumed the Daleks were all dead. Today we will make certain of it."

"Captain." Worf's gaze shifted from his console to Picard. "The Klingon fleet is moving to engage the Daleks."

"Raise General Tagoth now. Tell him to hold fire until . . ."

"Too late, Captain."

The Doctor stared at the view screen as green flashes from disrupters and torpedoes sliced through the blackness of space. Explosions blossomed across the Borg . . . rather Dalek cube.

"Dammit." Picard snorted. He then glanced to the ceiling. "Picard to fleet. All ships, open fire. Fire at will."

A kaleidoscope of light erupted outside the _Enterprise._ Flashes of red, blue, green and yellow streaked toward the cube. More explosions erupted over its black surface.

"Oh my God," Rose said in a hushed voice.

The Doctor briefly looked her way. To Rose this must be an awe-inspiring display of firepower. But given what he'd seen in the Time War, this was nothing more than a firecracker.

"Dalek shields are adapting to our phasers and torpedoes," reported the half-Asian tactical officer.

Green beams shot from the cube. Rose gasped as a Klingon bird of prey exploded. Two Romulan warbirds tried to flank the Daleks, only to be blasted apart. A volcanic explosion ripped through the saucer section of the _USS Agincourt._

"Evasive maneuvers!" ordered Picard. "Continue firing!"

"Hold on!" The Doctor grabbed hold of the console in front of him.

Rose was a second slow. _Enterprise _banked sharply left. Rose yelped and stumbled against the Doctor. A tingle went through his body as she clutched his arm in a death grip.

"Cardassian cruisers _Erqun _and _Piljarak_ destroyed," the tactical officer called out. "Starship _T'Pol_ reports heavy damage."

"Smaller vessels are emerging from the cube." The Xindi pointed to the screen. "Hundreds of them."

Through the mesmerizing and deadly light show, little dots flew out of the cube like swarms of insects.

"Doctor!" Picard aimed a hard gaze at him.

The Doctor grasped the console with one hand and Rose with the other as _Enterprise_ heaved to the right. "Those would be individual Daleks."

The tactical officer looked to him with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't know they could fly through space themselves."

"That's the Daleks for you. Always full of surprises."

"Mister Borzt." Picard's head whipped toward the Andorian security officer. "Post guards at all sensitive areas throughout the ship. Tell them to prepare for boarders."

"Aye, Captain."

The battle continued to rage. The Doctor noticed fewer explosions on the Dalek cube as they adapted to the fleet's weaponry. He also figured whatever damage Starfleet and its allies had inflicted was already being repaired.

The losses mounted for the combined fleet. An explosion tore a Klingon battlecruiser in two. Sparks trailed a Romulan warbird as it spun toward the planet below. A Dalek beam sliced off the port nacelle of the _USS Leonidas_. Through the chatter of fleet comm traffic burst a familiar grating voice.

"EXTERMINATE . . . ASSIMILATE . . . EXTERMINATE . . . ASSIMILATE!!"

"Dalek soldiers have teleported through the shields of several ships!" stated the Cactian science officer.

"Starship _Triumph_ and warbird _Rampager _report several crewmembers taken by Daleks," said the tactical officer.

"Readjust shield harmonics," ordered the Xindi. "Random settings."

Two thunderous blasts rocked the _Enterprise_. Rose yelped as she and the Doctor tumbled onto the floor. The breath shot out of his lungs when someone else dropped on him.

"Do you mind?" he wheezed. "I can't breath."

Borzt pushed himself off the Doctor and Rose, then surprised them both by helping them to their feet.

"Shields are holding," said the tactical officer. "Though it won't be long before -"

"Doctor!" Rose screamed and pointed to the center of the bridge. Two cyclones of green energy swirled above the floor. Moments later they materialize into a pair of Daleks.

Two more screams echoed through the bridge. Others just stared at the invaders with wide, fear-filled eyes.

The Doctor's jaw stiffened. His breathing grew harsher. Through narrow eyes he studied the two monsters.

They still had their pepper pot shapes. But most of the sensor spheres that adorned their base had been replaced by black and green Borg implants. Wires snaked out of their eyestalks to other implants dotting their "heads." Four metallic talons grew out of the arm and over the sucker tip.

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!"

A blue static field surrounded both Daleks.

"WE HAVE BEEN IMPRISONED BY A FORCEFIELD!! ADAPT!! ADAPT!!"

Suddenly the forcefield wrapped around the Daleks.

"FORCEFIELD CONDENSING!! COUNTER!! COUNT-"

The casing around the Daleks warped. Their top halves caved in. Seconds later they burst like melons. Green slime spattered the forcefield and seemingly hung in the air.

"Brilliant use of forcefields, Captain." The Doctor threw Picard a salute.

"Part of the new anti-Borg measures for all starships."

_Enterprise_ rocked again from energy blasts.

"Daleks reported on multiple decks," stated Borzt. "Security forces are holding them at bay."

"Time we ended this." Picard looked to the ceiling. "Engineering."

"LaForge here, Captain."

"Are you ready to inject the anti-matter stream into the phaser banks?"

"Flow regulators are online. Just give the word and we're ready."

"Standby." Picard turned to the tactical officer. "Mister Thonhaya. Coordinate with all remaining ships . . ."

_Enterprise _shuddered again.

"Tell them to ready their anti-matter injections."

"Aye, Captain."

"Doctor, what are they doing?"

He glanced at Rose. "Giving their phasers a bit of a kick. They're going to mix an anti-matter stream with a standard phaser beam. Increase its destructive power nearly a thousand-fold."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Well, if you consider the fact should the flow regulators be misaligned by the slightest of fractions, the entire ship will be blown out of existence, then it can be rather dangerous."

"How comforting."

"Anti-Matter stream activated," reported Thonhaya. "_Talawatha, Kirishima, Titan, Darak_ and _Vengeful _all report active streams."

Picard nodded. "Fire."

Six bluish-white phaser beams sliced into the Dalek cube. Rose and the Doctor turned away as a blinding white ball of light consumed the Dalek cube. When they looked back, huge sections of the vessel were gone. Sparks raced across the shattered sections of the cube as it hung in space. The surviving ships took advantage and bombarded it with phasers and torpedoes.

"Mister Thonhaya." Picard turned to the tactical officer. "Quantum torpedoes. Neurolytic warheads."

Thonhaya tapped his console. "Neurolytic warheads armed. Ready to fire."

"Fire."

Four pulsating balls of light streaked away from the _Enterprise._ Seconds later they exploded near the cube. A ghostly white wave of energy surged over the vessel.

A hush settled over the bridge. The Doctor glanced around. All eyes were focused on the damaged cube. He noticed bobbing Adam's apples on a couple crewmembers. One woman clasped her hands together in silent prayer.

"Neurolytic pathogen is spreading through the Dalek cube," the Cactian science officer announced. "It's starting to filter down into the individual Daleks."

"ALERT!! ALERT!!" The Dalek at the center of the cube screeched. "WE ARE UNDER V . . . V . . . VIRAL ATTACK!! M . . . MUST . . . A . . . A . . . Aaaaaa . . ."

"It's working." The Xindi clenched a fist in triumph.

"Security reports Dalek boarders are deactivating," said Borzt. "Other ships are reporting similar situations."

"Sensors indicate system-wide failure in the Dalek cube." The helmswoman swung her seat around to face Picard. "Shields and weapons are down."

"Hit them with everything we've got. Now."

Beams and torpedoes tore into the cube. Dozens of explosions blotted out what remained of its black surface.

An intense burst of white consumed the screen. When it faded seconds later, there was no sign of the Dalek cube.

The Doctor leaned on the console and exhaled. Relief washed over him. His legs could barely support him.

He felt Rose's hand on his shoulder. Somehow her mere touch sent a bolt of energy through him. He turned, the beat of both hearts increasing when he saw her sympathetic smile.

"It's over."

The Doctor said nothing. The comfort he took from Rose's touch, from her presence, vanished.

If he could only believe this was truly over.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood. Slowly, the Doctor turned to find Picard standing next to him, an intense look on his smooth, angular features.

"So, Doctor. Could you kindly explain to me how Daleks wound up on a Borg ship?"

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _In case you're wondering about the menagerie of aliens aboard the _Enterprise_, well with Riker's and Troi's reassignment to the _Titan_ and Data's death after "Star Trek: Nemesis," their positions needed to be filled. One of the things that always bothered me with "Star Trek" is the Federation is made up of hundreds of different races, yet the vast majority of crew members we see on starships are humans of North American descent (along with the token Vulcan). So since this is my story, I'm putting together as diverse a crew as I can for _Enterprise.


	3. Chapter 3

"The Daleks are one of the universe's greatest mysteries," stated Lieutenant Commander Si'lee, the Cactian chief science officer. "There are periods of history where they have forged vast empires, and entire stretches of time when they seem to have completely vanished from existence. Such as now. Before today the last recorded sighting of a Dalek was a hundred and fifty years ago."

"And now they suddenly return, and aboard a Borg vessel of all things." Leroth, the Xindi first officer, threw up his hands. "How is this possible?"

All eyes in the conference room turned to the Doctor. He met their gazes and took a deep breath.

"The reason for those empty periods of Dalek history is because they needed soldiers to fight the Time War."

"Time War?" Worf, who was serving as Starfleet's liaison with the non-Federation task forces, canted his head.

"The last great war between the Time Lords and the Daleks, with all of creation at stake."

"I assume since we aren't living under Dalek rule, your race won," said the half-Greek, half-Thai tactical officer Thonhaya.

The Doctor merely grunted, his eyes falling to the floor. As hard as he tried to block it, visions and sounds from that time flooded his mind. Millions of ships exploding like miniature stars. The screams of dying Time Lords and Daleks. Great fires raging across the whole of Gallifrey, erasing his home world from existence.

"The Daleks were stopped," he said flatly. If Picard's senior staff expected him to go into any more detail they'd be sorely disappointed.

"So how did they wind up in control of a Borg cube?" Picard sounded impatient.

The Doctor worked his jaw back and forth. "They didn't really, 'wind up in control' of it. They actually built it."

Several pairs of eyes around the table widened. The Doctor continued.

"After the Time War, I assumed the Daleks had all been wiped out. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Some of them managed to escape through time during the final battle. Four of them landed on the planet Uydal on the fringes of Cardassian space."

"They couldn't have picked a worse place to end up," said Leroth. "Most of Uydal is desert. There are only a handful of isolated settlements. How could they get a Borg ship if they were stuck there?"

"A Borg probe crash-landed there. The Dalek survivors studied the craft, and using Borg nanotechnology built their own cube."

"How did you learn this?" Si'lee folded her brown furry hands on the table.

"Junk pile."

Leroth's face twisted. "Excuse me?"

"Junk pile," the Doctor repeated himself. "Whenever you're reverse engineering alien technology, there is a process of trial and error. The Daleks made plenty of errors during their early experiments. Those failures got tossed into a junk pile. I managed to cobble together some spare parts and link into the Daleks' central network."

Chief Engineer LaForge leaned forward. "You did that by cobbling together spare parts?"

"Oh yes. Quite easy, really. You should see what I can do with a blender, a DVD player and an alarm clock."

"Doctor," Picard sighed. "If you don't mind . . ."

"Ah yes, sorry. Anyway, over the past year this Dalek-slash-Borg cube has been wandering space, picking off lone ships and isolated colonies and assimilating the prisoners."

"You mean they're turning them into Daleks?" Thonhaya cringed.

"Oh yes. Remember, while the Daleks may look robotic on the outside, inside them is an organic being. If those Daleks have any hope of saving their race, they need more organic material. Human, Vulcan, Andorian, Klingon, Romulan, it doesn't matter. And by stumbling on that Borg ship they have the perfect technology to make it happen."

"He's right." The redheaded Beverly Crusher, _Enterprise's _chief medical officer, swiveled her chair toward Picard. "The Borg can re-write the DNA of any species they come across. Now the Daleks can do the same."

A growl percolated in Leroth's throat. "I'd rather fry my brain with a phaser then let the Daleks turn me into a slimy lump with all my emotions removed."

"Not removed." The Doctor held up a finger. "Suppressed."

"Vulcans suppress their emotions," said Borzt. "When have the Borg or the Daleks ever shown a trace of emotion?"

"The Doctor is right." This from the raven-haired Betazoid counselor, Reela. "When that Dalek-Borg creature appeared on the screen, I sensed momentary traces of anger and hope, and a few other emotions I couldn't be completely sure of. It was like a faint whisper that only lasts for a split second and you're not sure if you really heard anything."

"Tricky thing, emotions." The Doctor steepled his fingers and spun around completely in his chair. "You can bury them deep, deep into the subconscious mind, but you can't completely get rid of them. They're always floating around in some mental nether region, waiting to be reawakened. The Borg or the Daleks can rewrite the genetic code of one species and turn it into another, but there will always be some small part of their original selves laying about. That was proven with Seven of Nine on _Voyager, _and with yourself, Captain."

Picard looked away. He sucked on his lower lip for a moment before facing the Doctor. "Thank you for this information, Doctor. Tell me, the junk pile you found on Uydal, is it still there?"

"Yes it is."

"Well, with the cube destroyed our next step is to go to Uydal and eliminate every trace of those failed experiments. Mister Worf. Contact the Cardassians and advise them of the situation. We'll need their permission to cross into their territory."

"Aye, Captain."

"Actually we have more important things to do than go traipsing off to Uydal to blow up a junk pile."

Leroth scrunched his face. "What are you talking about?"

The Doctor drew a breath and prepared to speak.

A female voice filled the room before he uttered a word.

"Captain, this is Acosta," said the helmswoman from Belize.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Sir . . ." The Doctor detected a slight quiver in the woman's voice before she continued. "Long-range sensors have detected six more Dalek cubes on an intercept course with us."


	4. Chapter 4

The wailing crescendo of the alarm filled the bridge. The Doctor stood next to Borzt's station, surveying the crew. Every brow, every human brow that is, was covered by a sheet of sweat. He could feel the tension, the fear radiating from their bodies. Counselor Reela rubbed her hand up and down her leg. Lieutenant Acosta constantly flexed her jaw. Commander Leroth slid closer to the edge of his seat.

All eyes fixed on the view screen, to the six approaching Dalek cubes.

The corners of the Doctor's mouth curled. He glanced to Rose next to him. His stomach collapsed.

_I should have dropped her off at home._

One Dalek cube destroyed a quarter of the combined fleet. He didn't see what chance the rest of it stood against six.

He grasped Rose's shoulder. She turned to him with worried eyes, trying unsuccessfully to force a smile.

The Doctor snorted. His hearts beat faster, fueled by anger. He'd be damned if he'd see Rose, or anyone else, killed. Or worse, turned into a Dalek.

He thought back to the meeting with Picard and the senior staff. A plan began to form.

"Two Dalek cubes, four hundred thousand kilometers and closing," announced Lieutenant Acosta. "The other cubes are holding position. Two in orbit above Amarione Nine, two more on the edge of the solar system."

"What could they be waiting for?" Worf's steely eyes narrowed at the view screen.

"Cannon fodder."

Picard spun around to face the Doctor. "Excuse me?"

"The first two cubes are for sacrifice, like pawns in chess. The other four are hanging back, hoping you hit those first two with everything you have. Then they can adapt to your attacks, come in and finish you."

Picard's shoulders rose with a slow breath. The Doctor stared into the man's intense eyes. He could see his mind racing, trying to adjust tactics in a matter of seconds.

"Lieutenant Acosta. Hail the _Ra'tarr_ and the _Chekov._"

"Aye, Captain."

Seconds later the view screen split, showing two faces; one a gruff-looking Klingon with streaks of gray through his black beard and hair, the other a snake-like Selay. Picard explained the Doctor's theory to them before laying out his plan.

"General Tagoth. Take the Klingon and Cardassian fleets and engage the cubes in orbit above Amarione Nine. Captain Ssetah. Take Squadrons Three and Four and engage the cubes at the edge of this system."

"I don't consider it wise to divide the fleet," growled Tagoth. "It took almost every ship we had to destroy a single Dalek cube."

"I share your concerns, General. But it will do us no good to destroy two cubes and give the other four the ability to overcome our defenses."

Tagoth grunted in response.

"Don't engage them in a stand-up fight. Use hit-and-run tactics. Make them chase you around the system. Keep every cube separated from the others as much as possible."

"It shall be done, Captain." Ssetah gave him a slight bow.

The Doctor watched on the view screen as the fleet split up. The comm channel filled with a never-ending cacophony of voices updating their positions. He tried to think of something, anything, to help give them an edge over the Daleks.

Nothing came to mind. Certainly nothing in the brute force category.

No, he only had one idea. It made him shove his hands in his jacket pockets to keep them from shaking.

The constant chatter from the various ships was interrupted by a grating voice.

"WE ARE THE DALEKS!! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!! SURRENDER AND BE ASSIMILATED!! RESIST AND YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!!"

Leroth shook his head. "That is really getting annoying."

"Mister Thonhaya." Picard looked to the tactical officer. "Inject anti-matter stream into the phaser banks. Ready quantum torpedoes. Neurolytic warheads."

"Aye, Captain."

The Dalek cubes streaked past Amarione Seven's twin moons.

"Picard to fleet. All ships, fire at will."

An array of white beams converged on the two cubes. The screen flared brilliant white. A giant invisible fist punched _Enterprise_. The Doctor, Rose and Borzt stumbled back into the row of consoles jutting from the wall.

Rose fell to the ground, grimacing and holding her back.

"Rose!" The Doctor dropped to his knees. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Did we get them?"

"I can't see how they could survive a barrage like that." Borzt picked himself up. "See." He pointed to the view screen. "Destroyed."

The Doctor helped Rose to her feet. He looked at the view screen and clenched his teeth.

Both cubes had been reduced to huge chunks of debris floating lifelessly in space.

"That was easier than expected." Leroth stood and moved next to Picard. "Recommend we move out and support our other two task forces."

"Not yet." Picard raised a cautious hand. "Not until we've destroyed the larger pieces of debris."

Leroth drew his head back. "But, Captain. What can they do . . ."

Green rays shot from the chunks. _Enterprise _rocked back and forth, nearly throwing everyone to the floor.

"We just lost the _Udaloy!" _Thonhaya clung to his console. "Heavy damage to warbird _Tahak!"_

_Enterprise_ shook again. The Doctor and Rose nearly pitched over the railing separating the two tiers of the bridge.

"Quantum torpedoes!" Picard hollered. "Fire!"

The torpedoes flashed across the screen, striking three of the chunks. As before a ghostly white wave washed over them.

Acosta's jaw dropped as she stared at her console. "Neurolytic warheads ineffective. I think they've adapted."

Another quake went through the ship. Sparks flew from some of the consoles.

"Shields down to seventy percent," Thonhaya stated.

Picard's head whipped to his science officer. "Commander Si'lee! Reprogram the neurolytic pathogen!"

"Aye, Captain." Si'lee's talons flew across her console.

Another hammer blow shook _Enterprise._

"Shields down to sixty percent! Hull breaches on Decks Twenty-Six, Twenty-Seven and Twenty-Eight!"

The Doctor coughed as the smell of electric-tinged smoke filled the bridge. It stung his eyes, which remained fixed on the view screen. He clenched his fists as he saw the chunks, still firing on Starfleet and Romulan ships, moving closer together.

"Picard! Destroy that debris! They're trying to reconnect themselves, like a jigsaw puzzle."

The _Enterprise_ shuddered again.

"That's what we're trying to do, Doctor! Now unless you have something more useful to offer, be quiet!"

The Doctor's face tightened.

The ship took another hit. He and Rose clung to the console.

"_Kirishima's_ gone!" The strain became evident in Thonhaya's voice. "_Cochrane _and _Viraat_ report heavy damage!"

Another hit. More sparks shot from consoles. A haze of smoke settled over the bridge. Crewmembers coughed non-stop.

"Shields down to fifty percent! Hull breeches reported across the saucer section!"

The Doctor's eyes lit up. He bolted past Rose and Borzt and shoved Thonhaya away from the tactical console.

"What the hell?"

The Doctor ignored the man and started tapping furiously on the console.

"Doctor! What are you doing?" Picard demanded.

Again the Doctor focused totally on his task.

"Mister Borzt."

The Andorian grabbed the Doctor by the arms and pulled him away from the console.

"No wait! You need to concentrate your shields to the front of the ship, then extend it out at the debris!"

Picard held up his hand. Borzt halted. The Doctor heaved with desperate breaths, staring at _Enterprise's_ captain.

"Explain," Picard finally said.

"I can reprogram the shields. Have it act as a battering ram by sending one focused burst at the debris. Knock the larger chunks away before they can merge."

Picard's face tightened. He glanced over his shoulder at the screen.

The chunks were almost together.

"Do it."

Borzt released the Doctor, who leaped at the console and quickly pressed buttons. He glanced at the small display screen to his left. The 3-D animated image of the _Enterprise _showed all remaining shield power focused on the bow of the ship.

"And . . ." His finger hovered over the console. "Rack 'em up!"

The Doctor stabbed at the button.

The narrow-band shield shot out from _Enterprise. _It smashed through the center of the merging Dalek debris. Each chunk spun off in a different direction.

"Neurolytic warheads reprogrammed, Captain," Si'lee called out.

"Fire."

Quantum torpedoes streaked away from _Enterprise._ White flashes washed over each chunk.

"Sensors indicate major disruptions in the debris." The relief was evident in Acosta's voice.

Within seconds phasers and quantum torpedoes from the remaining ships bombarded the chunks. Huge explosions blossomed across the screen.

Picard's shoulders dropped in relief. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome, but this fight's far from over."

"Indeed. Commander Si'lee. Any sign that the neurolytic pathogen has infected the other Dalek cubes?"

"Scanning . . ." The Cactian's body froze for a moment. She took a quick breath to recompose herself. "Negative. The other cubes cut their links before it could spread."

"We're being hailed by the _Ra'tarr_," Acosta stated. "It's General Tagoth."

"On screen."

The screen blinked. Tagoth's face appeared. Behind him were the fiery, smoky remains of his battlecruiser's bridge.

"Captain. I've lost over half my fleet, and the Daleks have boarded the _Ra'tarr."_

"We're on our way to assist you."

Tagoth shook his head. "Don't bother. You'll never reach us in time. I've already programmed our warp core to overload. We shall not be turned into Daleks."

The Klingon general's face moved closer to the screen. "Today is a good day to die."

Tagoth's face vanished, replaced by the image of the burning _Ra'tarr._

The Doctor noticed Worf standing straighter than ever, his eyes locked on the screen.

Seconds later the _Ra'tarr _vanished in a blinding white flash.

"Single Dalek cube one million kilometers and closing," announced Acosta.

"Captain." Si'lee twisted around to face Picard. "The new sequences for the neurolytic warheads have been transmitted to all remaining ships."

Picard nodded and looked to the ceiling. "Picard to fleet. Prepare full-scale torpedo barrage on approaching Dalek cube. Neurolytic warheads."

Numerous voices sang out their acknowledgement.

The Doctor gripped the console, watching the cube speed toward them. Closer . . . closer . . .

"All ships . . . fire!"

Dozens of quantum torpedoes flashed through space. The cube vanished in a sheet of white explosions. The Doctor drew a deep breath. Tension pressed down on his shoulders.

The explosions subsided. The cube remained . . . and continued toward them.

"The pathogen's had no effect." Acosta's voice cracked.

Si'lee growled. "I can't believe they've adapted already."

The starships and warbirds lashed out with phaser and disrupter fire. Most of the ships had their anti-matter stream regulators damaged in the last attack and reverted to randomly changing phaser modulations.

The beams failed to penetrate the cube's shields.

The Doctor tried his focused shield burst again, aided by several other ships. Huge sections of the cube caved in.

Still it kept coming.

"Now what?" Rose's eyes grew wide with fear.

"Individual Daleks launching!" Leroth pointed to the screen, which showed hundreds of Daleks emerging from the cube.

"Starships _Ushaan_ and _Erebus_ have been boarded." Thonhaya coughed and waved some smoke from his face. "Warbird _Harbinger _also reports boarders."

"Doctor?" Rose's blond hair whipped across her face as she turned to the doctor. She stared at him with desperate eyes.

The Doctor rolled his shoulders and forced a smile. "No need to worry. I have a brilliant plan to get us out of this . . . or I will soon enough."

Phasers and disrupters sliced across space. The Doctor saw brief flickers of explosions where a beam connected with an individual Dalek.

In less than a minute the explosions grew less frequent as the Daleks adapted.

"All contact with the _Scharnhorst_ lost," announced Acosta.

Something beeped on Borzt's console. "Daleks have beamed through our shields. Boarders reported on Decks Seventeen and Twenty-One. Wait . . . Daleks have beamed into engineering. Dispatching Security Teams Five through Seven there."

The Doctor felt his face sag. He dared not look at Rose. She'd no doubt ask him what was wrong.

He couldn't bear answering that question.

Slowly, the Doctor backed up toward the turbolift. When he got close enough, the door automatically slid open. He scanned the smoky bridge. No one had seen him. Not even Rose.

Part of him didn't want to say anything. But after all they'd been through . . .

"Rose."

She spun around. A quizzical look fell over her face when she noticed him inside the turbolift.

"Don't come after me."

She took a step toward him.

The doors slid closed.

An ill feeling spread through the Doctor. He hated doing this to her.

But he had no choice.

The turbolift stopped.

"Doctor, this is Picard." The captain's voice filled the small space. "I demand you tell me what you're up to."

"Doctor." His lips tightened at the sound of Rose's voice. "Doctor, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

He didn't respond. He just took out his sonic screwdriver, readjusted the lift controls and resumed his descent.

Picard and Rose still called for him. After a half-minute of listening to the captain's demands and his friend's pleas, the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to sever the turbolift's comm link.

The lift jerked to a halt when it reached engineering. The doors opened.

Acrid smoke filled his nostrils. Phaser fire sizzled through the air. Sparks burst from consoles and conduits and fluttered to the floor. Crew members dashed through the fire and smoke, many yelling frantically.

And over their shouts was a grating cry.

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!"

The Doctor watched yellow beams shoot out from two Daleks. Two crewmen were struck, and subsequently vanished.

_So that's how they do it._

The Doctor stepped out of the lift and into a small crowd of retreating engineers.

"Go! Go! Go!" LaForge waved his people to hurry, firing a hand phaser at the Daleks. Their shields blocked every beam.

"Doctor, come on!" The Chief Engineer grabbed his arm. "We gotta go."

"You go!" The Doctor pushed him away. He then marched toward the Daleks. He raised his arms as three of the monsters approached.

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!"

"Hello." He said with a smile. "It's me. You're old friend the Doctor."

The Daleks paused. The lead one swung its eyestalk around to the two behind it. A couple seconds passed before the stalk swung back in his direction.

"DOCTOR! THE DOCTOR IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!" It paused. "WE MUST EXECUTE STANDING ORDER NUMBER FOUR IN THE EVENT OF AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE DOCTOR!"

The Doctor didn't blink as the Dalek fired.

_TO BE CONTINUED_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Thanks need to go out to Village-Mystic for pointing out the need for more sensory information in my story. All of you who have submitted reviews, put me in your favs and on your alerts -- and also those who haven't -- glad your enjoying this.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose stared at the turbolift door. Anger and worry collided within, causing her entire body to shake. She couldn't believe he'd just leave her to do . . . who knew what the hell he planned to do? But that was the Doctor. Just run headlong into danger and pray he came up with a plan to get out of it.

She turned to the view screen. Another starship exploded.

Would any of them get out of this?

"Mister Borzt. Get down to Engineering and take personal charge of the security teams."

"Aye, Captain." The Andorian reached under his console and produced a phaser rifle.

"What about the Doctor?" Rose glanced between Picard and Borzt.

Another blast rocked _Enterprise_.

"Right now my main concern is to secure engineering," Picard answered.

"But we have to help him!" Rose's palms slammed down on the console.

"The Doctor can take care of himself!"

A cry surged up from Rose's gut and congealed in her throat. She was about to unleashed it on Picard when Borzt strode by and entered the turbolift.

Rose swallowed her fury and spun around. She darted for the turbolift.

The door started to close.

Rose leapt into the turbolift before the door sealed shut.

"Get out of here." Borzt's antennae bent sharply.

"Forget it. I have to find the Doctor."

"I am not going to have a civilian running around _Enterprise _while we're under attack."

"I said I'm going. You can waste time arguing or trying to push me out this lift, or we can get to engineering."

Borzt stared at her for a second. With a grunt, he ordered the turbolift to take them to the appropriate deck.

The ship quaked twice more before the door opened. Smoke greeted Rose as she followed Borzt into the corridor. The odor of burning metal and plastic hung in the air, along with something else. Something she remembered from Van Stanton's underground bunker in Utah, where she first encountered the Daleks. A sickening sweet stench that made her slap a hand over her mouth to keep down the bile bubbling up from her stomach.

The stench of charred flesh.

"Stay close and stay behind me." Borzt moved forward, rifle extended.

Rose hacked, expecting to throw up at any moment. Phaser fire filtered from down the hall. So did an agonized female scream. Then came another sound that made her legs tremble.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

A dark-skinned man tore around the corridor, followed by a brown-haired woman and a thin Vulcan.

"Whoa! Don't shoot!" LaForge held up his hands.

"Commander." Borzt jogged up to _Enterprise's_ chief engineer. "What's the status of engineering?"

"There's at least four Daleks in there. Security's had no luck trying to retake it."

"Can they get control of the engines?"

LaForge took a breath, coughing on the smoke. "I initiated a random generation encryption block before we evacuated. It may buy us a few minutes at best, but eventually they'll get around us."

Borzt growled. "If they disable the engines we're done for."

"I know. I'm headed for the auxiliary engineering room. We'll try to maintain control from there."

"Then go. My people will secure main engineering."

LaForge nodded. He and the other two crewmembers sprinted past them.

Rose kept up with Borzt, who picked up his pace as they drew closer to the sounds of battle.

"Doctor! Doctor, where are you!?"

"Keep quiet!" Borzt hissed. "Do you want the Daleks to know -"

"EXTERMINATE!!"

Rose yelped as a stocky blue-skinned alien stumbled into view at the other end of the hallway, a blue aura around him. He crumpled to the floor and didn't rise.

A stout blonde raced around the corner, his face streaked with soot and blood.

"Commander!" He spoke with an Eastern European accent. "They've broken through! Everyone's dead! We can't . . ."

A Dalek glided up behind him.

"Look out!" Rose screamed.

"EXTERMINATE!!"

The Dalek fired. The crewman glowed blue, screamed and fell dead to the floor.

"Back! Back!" Borzt backed up and fired his phaser rifle.

The beam struck the Dalek's shield harmlessly. Two more Daleks appeared behind it.

"GO!!" Borzt fired another futile blast and hurried round the corner and down the corridor. They stumbled when another tremor shook _Enterprise._

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

Tears flooded Rose's eyes. God how she hated that terrifying mechanical shriek.

They rounded another corridor. Borzt stopped and pressed his back against the wall.

"What are you doing?"

Borzt didn't look at her. He just stared at his phaser rifle. "If shooting them doesn't work, maybe this will."

The Andorian pressed a button just above the trigger. He then slid a finger over a small glass strip near the butt of the rifle. Moments later the weapon started to hum.

"I just overload the rifle." Borzt turned to her. "The explosion will be strong enough to take out most of the corridor, and hopefully the Dal-"

The wall behind Borzt exploded. Rose screamed and jumped back. The Andorian's body jerked, surrounded by a blue glow. Tears rolled down Rose's cheeks as Borzt sank to his knees and fell face first to the floor. Wisps of smoke rose from his body . . . and the phaser rifle, which was now silent.

A sob burst from Rose's throat. She turned to the large hole in the wall. The Daleks must have scanned through it, saw Borzt and . . .

Her body went cold. Her brain screamed _run!_ Fear kept her planted to the floor.

"THE FEMALE IS UNARMED!! SHE WILL BE ASSIMILATED!!"

Rose swallowed ragged breaths. She forced herself to move backwards, her eyes locked on Borzt's inert form.

The grating cries from around the corner drew closer.

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!"

Rose turned and ran. Her heart pounded furiously. She didn't know where to run. Somewhere. Anywhere. Anywhere away from them.

_Doctor._ The name broke through her fear. Where was he? Was he still alive? He had to be. The Doctor couldn't . . .

She screamed as another violent quake ripped through _Enterprise._ Rose stumbled and bounced off a wall. Pain hammered her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and kept running, rounding another corner.

Two crewmen ran toward her. One was a brown-skinned human, the other an Andorian. Both carried phaser rifles.

"The Daleks are coming!" Rose screamed. "They're right -"

Thunder roared over head. The world around her shook. Rose sprawled onto the floor.

The shaking stopped. Rose groaned and picked herself up, pain hammering every part of her body. She blinked her eyes, stinging from smoke. When she saw the sight in front of her, she nearly gasped, but choked on the swirling smoke.

Half the ceiling had collapsed. She saw no sign of the Andorian. Debris covered most of the human, who lay unmoving in an expanding pool of blood.

Rose's wide eyes stared at the pile of debris blocking the corridor. She drew deep panicked breaths, coughing on the smoke.

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!" The word bounced off the walls the corridor.

Rose looked behind her and convulsed with a sob. It wouldn't be long before the Daleks reached her. She shook uncontrollably.

_Doctor, where are you? I don't want to become a Dalek._

She turned back to the pile of debris. Something on the floor caught her eye.

A phaser rifle lay a meter from the dead hands of the half-buried human.

_Like that'll do any good._

Then she remembered what Borzt had been trying to do before he died.

Rose picked up the rifle and found the button the Andorian had pressed. She pushed it in, then stared at the glass strip.

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!"

Rose clenched her teeth to keep from sobbing. She placed her finger on the strip and froze.

_I don't want to die._

_Death has to be better than becoming one of them._

She turned back to the pile. No way around it or over it.

_No wait!_ She looked up and gasped. There was an opening between the debris pile and the floor above her. It should be big enough to . . .

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!"

Rose slid her finger over the glass strip. The phaser rifle began to hum. She heaved it down the corridor and scrambled up the debris. She twisted around and reached through the opening to the floor above her. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Rose clawed at the floor and pushed with her legs, desperately trying to wriggle through. How long before the Daleks showed up? How long before the phaser rifle exploded?

"ASSIMILATE!! ASSIMILATE!!"

The grating voices sounded right on top of her.

With a final push, Rose hauled herself completely through the opening.

A Dalek gun sizzled below her. A yellow light flashed below the opening.

Rose scrambled to her feet and ran. How long did she have before . . .

A load roar slammed into her ears. Rose barely heard herself scream as she flew through the air and crashed to the floor. Pain shot through her right elbow and abdomen. Rose groaned and rolled onto her back. She coughed and tried to push herself up. A vice of pain wrapped around her body.

Two meters from her the floor was gone. Acrid smoke rose up into the corridor. Rose waved a hand in front of her face and crawled to the edge of the floor.

When she peered down, all the tension dissolved from her muscles. The charred wreckage of three Daleks lay below her.

"Miss Tyler!"

She groaned and slowly turned around.

Commander Worf sprinted toward her, with six other crew members behind him.

"Are you all right?" The Klingon pulled her to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just banged up a bit."

Worf nodded, stepped past her, and stared down at the floor below.

"Did you do that?" He pointed to the remains of the three Daleks.

Rose nodded, rubbing her arm. "Overload a phaser rifle and fling it at them. Nothing to it."

My God, she sounded just like the Doctor.

Rose closed her eyes, praying he was all right.

"That should only leave one more Dalek in engineering. Let's go."

Rose watched Worf and the others lower themselves to the floor below. Smoke swirled around her, carrying smells of burnt metal and flesh. Images flashed through her mind of dead humans and aliens, of Borzt being killed right next to her.

And the Doctor. Worry squeezed her chest and twisted her stomach. That worry merged with the repugnant odors wrapping around her head.

Rose doubled over and threw up.

XXXXXXX

"All contact lost with the _Crimea _and the warbird _Imperious_," reported Thonhaya.

Picard clenched his fists, glaring at the screen. Try as he might, he couldn't keep the anger off his face. Anger over the burning and drifting spaceships around him. Anger over the thousands of beings killed or assimilated by these Dalek/Borg abominations.

And he couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.

Something exploded in the bottom right of the view screen.

"_Vindicator's _been destroyed."

Another blast struck _Enterprise_. Picard clutched his chair and remained on his feet.

"Shields down to ten percent," said Thonhaya. "All torpedo tubes disabled. Damage to starboard nacelle."

Picard scowled. He doubted the other surviving ships were in better shape than _Enterprise._

His eyes narrowed at the screen, watching phasers, disrupters and torpedoes impact the Dalek cubes with no effect.

Another starship exploded. The _Cessair, _according to Thonhaya.

He wanted to yell, to throw something, to pound the nearest wall. Instead he drew a deep breath and stiffened.

"Lieutenant Acosta." Picard clenched his teeth, not wanting to give the order, but knowing he had no choice.

"Contact all remaining ships. Tell them to withdraw."


	6. Chapter 6

Oppressive darkness surrounded the Doctor as he materialized aboard the Dalek cube. He glanced at the black conduits and nodes around him. A primal urge to run welled up inside him. He stamped it out.

There was nowhere to run here.

"DO NOT MOVE!! DO NOT MOVE!!"

Two Daleks hovered beside the walkway, their guns pointed at him.

The Doctor's jaw stiffened. He raised his hands.

The Daleks glided over the railing and landed a couple meters from him.

"FORWARD!!" ordered the nearest of the two.

"First it's 'do not move,' then it's 'forward.' Which is it?"

"FORWARD!! YOU WILL OBEY!!"

The Doctor spun around and marched forward.

A distant scream made him stop. Another followed, and another. He closed his eyes and lowered his head. He didn't want to think of what horrors the beings who'd been teleported off their ships were going through.

"MOVE!!" ordered the lead Dalek.

The Doctor opened his eyes and locked a fiery gaze on the damn monster.

"YOU WILL MOVE!!" The Dalek slid forward. "OBEY!! OBEY!!"

With a snort, the Doctor whipped around and stalked down the walkway, the Daleks right behind him.

The screams of the prisoners followed him.

Minutes later the Daleks brought him to an inner chamber. The door slid shut behind them, blocking out the screams. Whatever tortures the Daleks inflicted on the helpless prisoners was shunted to the depths of the Doctor's mind when he saw the creature in the center of the room.

This Dalek looked twice as big as the others, its casing jet black, with numerous wires hooked up to it. The Doctor straightened and slowly walked toward it. His Dalek guards did nothing to stop him.

When he got within a couple meters of the giant Dalek, its eyestalk snapped down and aimed directly at him.

The Doctor looked up and smiled. "Hullo. It's me, the Doctor. The man you refer to as 'The Coming Storm' in your ancient language. And you must be . . . well, let's see. The Borg have their queen. The Daleks had their emperor. So I guess that would make you . . . the Dalek Queen? The Borg Emperor? Or what about the Queen Emperor Borg Dalek? Or maybe . . ."

"SILENCE!!" croaked the large Dalek.

The Doctor winced. "No need to get snippy."

"YOU ARE NOW OUR PRISONER!! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!! FROM THIS DAY FORTH, YOU WILL SERVE THE DALEKS!!"

The Doctor's lips twisted. Moments later he doubled over and laughed.

"SILENCE!!" demanded the Emperor Dalek.

"Can you hear yourself?" The Doctor chuckled. "'Resistance is futile.' 'You will serve the Daleks.' It's not enough you're stealing the Borg's technology, you're also stealing their catch phrases."

The Emperor regarded him with cold silence.

"Yes, look at you." The Doctor stepped closer. "All the implants, wired up to this big cube. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Reduced to rebuilding yourselves from the spare parts of another race. So much for the supreme image of the Dalek."

"IT WAS LOGICAL!! THE BORG HAVE THE NECESSARY TECHNOLOGY TO CONVERT OTHER LIFEFORMS INTO DALEKS!! WE MUST DO ALL TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF THE DALEK RACE!!"

"But you're not supposed to survive." All humor vanished from the Doctor's face, replaced by anger as memories of the Time War blazed in his brain. "You had your chance to ensure your survival during the Time War . . . and you failed! Your race was wiped out. But that wasn't enough for you, was it? You had to take my entire race with you!"

"YOUR ANGER IS IRRELEVANT!! WE ESCAPED THE TIME WAR!! WE ADAPTED!! THE DALEK RACE SURVIVES!!"

"How can you even call yourselves Daleks? Looking at you, listening to you. You're more Borg than you are Dalek."

"WE ARE DALEKS!! WE HAVE ADAPTED!! WE HAVE EVOLVED!! WE SHALL REIGN OVER THE UNIVERSE AS THE SUPREME BEINGS!!"

"And you think everyone is just going to bow down and let that happen?" The Doctor threw out his arms. "You may have given Picard and his fleet a bloody nose, but do you think the fighting will end there? What do you think will happen when you and your four cubes face the entire might of the Federation, and the Klingons and the Romulans and the Cardassians and the Dominion and the Sontarans and the Nestene and the Movellans and the dozens of other star empires out there? What do you think will happen when you come up against billions and billions of beings who'd rather fight and die than live as your subjects?"

"THERE WILL BE NO SUBJECTS!! THERE WILL BE NO SLAVES!! CONQUEST HAS BEEN DEEMED ILLOGICAL!! SLAVES GROW WEAK AND DIE!! ELEMENTS OF SUBJUGATED POPULATIONS WILL INEVITABLY RISE UP AGAINST THE DALEKS!! WE WILL INSTEAD ASSIMILATE ALL CIVILIZATIONS AND RESHAPE THE UNIVERSE IN OUR IMAGE!!"

"If you can't beat them, turn them into Daleks, is that it?" With narrow eyes, the Doctor stomped to the base of the Emperor Dalek. "I guess I'm lucky then. Since you plan to exterminate me, I won't be around to witness that nightmare."

"YOUR ASSUMPTION IS WRONG, DOCTOR!! YOU WILL NOT BE EXTERMINATED!! YOU WILL BE BECOME THAT WHICH YOU HATE AND FEAR THE MOST!! _YOU WILL BECOME A DALEK!!"_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Must give props out to Riddlesindisguise. Your review gave me some ideas to expand on the reason why the Daleks have mated with Borg technology.


	7. Chapter 7

Picard's chest rose and fell with steady breaths. It was the only way he could keep his anger from bubbling to the surface as he gazed around the conference room. Along with his senior staff and the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, the captains of the other ships that escaped the battle and made it to the rally point in the Beroog System were seated around the table.

_Fifteen ships_. Picard's jaw stiffened. Fifteen out of a fleet of eighty. Seven Starfleet, five Klingon, two Romulan and a Cardassian. All their strategy, all their bravery, all their determination . . . all for nothing.

"According to our last sensor readings," stated Lieutenant Acosta, "the four Dalek cubes are on a course for the Pyquan System."

"The Federation has colonies in that system, correct?" asked Leroth.

"Yes, Commander. Five to be exact. Three primarily human, one Tellarite and one Trill. Total population approximately three hundred-seventy million."

"Meaning three hundred-seventy million potential new Daleks." A frown creased the lips of Will Riker, captain of the _USS Titan._

Leroth snorted. "That's enough for them to launch a major offensive against the Federation."

"And the Klingon Empire," growled Captain Frouk, the senior surviving Klingon officer. "And all the other empires in the quadrant."

Picard's face tightened, trying to force down any expression of anger or worry. He turned to Leroth. "Number One. Any word on reinforcements?"

"The closest help is a task force led by the _USS Lirpa_, six ships total. Even at maximum warp they're at least eight hours away from the Pyquan System. Our estimates show the Daleks will be there in five hours."

Frouk scowled. "Even if they did get here in time, I can't see what good six ships will do against those cubes."

Picard sighed louder than he wanted. He looked two seats down from him. "Commander LaForge. What's the status on repairs?"

The chief engineer shook his head. "Work on the engines is going slowly. I can give you a maximum of Warp Six right now, maybe Warp Seven in twenty-four hours. All forward torpedo tubes are destroyed, shield power is only at forty percent and there are several decks inaccessible due to battle damage. To be honest, Captain, most of our repair work can only be done at a shipyard, not out here. And that goes for all the other ships that survived the Amarione battle."

Picard hid his hand under the table and made a fist. His fingernails bit into his palm as waves of anger crashed against his soul. Three hundred-seventy million beings could be assimilated because he wasn't good enough to stop the Daleks.

"What about the Doctor?"

Picard's eyes flickered to Rose, who leaned forward in her chair, her desperate gaze locked on him.

"Miss Tyler, I appreciate the fact the Doctor means a great deal to you. But right now my first thought has to be the protection of nearly four hundred million beings in the Pyquan system."

"But you can't just leave him in the hands of the Daleks."

"It's likely the Doctor is already dead," said Frouk. "Klingon records show the Daleks considered him their greatest enemy. I'm surprised they didn't just exterminate him the moment they saw him on this ship."

"We don't know that he's dead." Moisture glistened in Rose's eyes. "Please, Captain. You have to help him."

"Even if I wanted to, we're barely capable of meeting the Daleks in a battle, nevermind trying to conduct a rescue mission aboard one of their cubes."

"You can't just abandon him!" Rose looked ready to jump out her chair and leap across the table at him. "How many times has he helped the Federation in the past? You owe him."

"Miss Tyler," Picard said sternly. "I invited you to this briefing as a courtesy, being the Doctor's companion. I'd advise you not to abuse that privilege."

Rose drew a deep breath, ready for another outburst. But the muscles around her jaw tightened. After several seconds of silence Picard turned away from her and looked across the table to his former first officer. "Will. Any ideas on how . . ."

"He is a Time Lord, you know."

Picard's brow furrowed at the interruption. He swung his head in Rose's direction. "Excuse me?"

"The Doctor. What if the Daleks don't kill him? What if they assimilate him instead? The Doctor told me when the Borg assimilate someone, their knowledge, their memories, it all becomes a part of their collective. They know everything that person knows. And the Doctor knows a lot. The secrets of time and space, how the TARDIS works. Imagine how powerful the Daleks would be if they knew everything the Doctor knows."

"Your precious Doctor wasn't the only one taken by the Daleks." The cherubic Gul Ha'rat, the captain of the Cardassian cruiser _Vredur_, narrowed his eyes at Rose. "Hundreds of my people were also teleported aboard those cubes."

"They and thousands of other Federation, Klingon and Romulan personnel," noted Leroth.

Ha'rat's glare grew sharper. "You wish us to forget about them while we save your Doctor?"

"No. That's not what I mean."

"Her emotional attachment to the Doctor aside, Miss Tyler does have a valid point." Picard's eyes swept over the assembled beings. "The Time Lords' knowledge of time and space far exceeds our own, even that of the Daleks."

"Respectfully, Captain." Si'lee turned to Picard. "The information on the Time Lords contained in the Federation database is based more on rumor than fact."

"Perhaps, Commander. But even if half those rumors are true, can we really afford to let the Daleks gain such knowledge? If they do, it's not just our galaxy that will be threatened, but all of creation."

"But you said it yourself, Captain." Frouk gestured toward him. "With all the damage we've sustained this fleet doesn't have the capability to either rescue the Doctor and our comrades or stop the Daleks from assimilating every being in the Pyquan System."

Picard leaned forward, intertwining his fingers and resting them on the table's black reflective surface. Frouk was right. Their priority should be destroying those cubes. That would certainly stop the Daleks from putting the Doctor's knowledge to use should he already be assimilated.

_And what about all the other beings captured during the battle? Do we kill them too?_

He remembered what he told his people when they fought the Borg in the mid-21st Century about killing assimilated crewmembers. _"You'll be doing them a favor."_

Then he looked across the table to Will. His eyes darted from his former first officer to Beverly, then Worf, then LaForge. How much did they risk to save him? The _Enterprise _had been badly damaged and the Borg were on the verge of assimilating Earth. Yet they managed to stop the Borg and remove his implants.

A shiver raced up his spine. He closed his eyes, remembering the constant din of voices in his head telling him to betray the Federation, destroy its ships, attack his friends. He remembered the loss of his individuality, his freedom, of existing instead of living.

Could he really let the Doctor and all those other beings go through that hell if there was the slimmest chance he could save them?

_Don't let this be personal. Your priority has to be to the colonists in the Pyquan system._

Again he closed his eyes and imagined the Doctor and the thousands of others captured at Amarione Seven going through the agonizing process of assimilation.

_Protect the colonists or rescue the Doctor and the others. You can't do both, Jean-Luc._

_Why not?_

A plan began to form. A rather desperate plan. A plan based on a quote he heard in a Battle Strategies class at the Academy, a quote from a man who lived twenty-five hundred years before humans took their first clumsy steps into space.

According to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, _"If you are weak, make the enemy think you are strong."_


	8. Chapter 8

The scream sounded alien to the Doctor. Alien because it came from his own throat. Loud and high-pitched, rivaling that of a newborn human. He couldn't remember a time in his 900 years of life when he'd screamed like this.

But the pain was unbearable, as if white hot spikes had been shoved deep into his bones. Fire twisted his insides. A clawed hand squeezed his brain.

Somehow he had to find the strength to fight the pain.

A slithering sensation wove its way through the pain. Panic set in. He could feel the Dalek implants rewriting his DNA.

Another scream burst from his mouth.

_Fight . . . fight._

"RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!" A Dalek voice blared inside his brain. "YOU SHALL BECOME ONE OF US, DOCTOR!!"

The Doctor pressed his head against the back of the chamber the Daleks had locked him in. He clenched his teeth, letting those last words echo in his brain. He'd fought the Daleks for hundreds of years, nearly wiped out their entire race.

He'd be damned if he'd give them the satisfaction of being turned into a slimy tentacled lump.

The Doctor retreated into his mind. He saw pain coming at him like bolts of blood red lighting. With a swipe he deflected some of the bolts. Others struck and burned. He fought down a scream and batted away more bolts. His mind stretched throughout his body. He could see individual cells coil and unwind, turning from Gallifreyan DNA to Dalek.

Tiny beams shot from his mind, striking multitudes of changed cells. Hundreds of invisible hands reached in to those cells, driving off microscopic attackers, twisting and reshaping DNA until it reverted back to his own.

Victories were short-lived. Cells came under attack every second. The Doctor continued with his "selective regeneration." He had to keep the assimilation process at bay. He couldn't let it overwhelm him, nor could he allow his body to become so damaged that he'd have to undergo a complete regeneration. Should that happen, he'd be in such a weakened state the Daleks would have no trouble assimilating him.

"YOUR ATTEMPTS TO RESIST ASSIMILATION WILL FAIL, DOCTOR!! YOUR BODY WILL EVENTUALLY GROW WEAK!! YOU WILL BECOME ONE OF US!!"

_Shut up, please. I'm busy._

The Dalek ignored him. "ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN ASSIMILATED, THE SECRETS OF THE TIME LORDS WILL BE OURS!! WE SHALL MANIPULATE TIME!! WE SHALL CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF THE TIME WAR!! ALL OF CREATION WILL BE REMADE IN THE IMAGE OF THE DALEK!!"

Fear and anger roared through the Doctor. With mental hands he took hold of those emotions, shoved them in an old chest and shut it. He couldn't afford these negative emotions interfering with his task.

More cells came under attack. More were saved. The duel between Dalek and Gallifreyan DNA never ended. The Doctor's mind and body continued to resist, but this wasn't the only battle he had to wage.

Part of his consciousness turned to his cerebral cortex. The implants steadily marched across his brain stem.

For an instant, the Doctor mentally smiled.

He left one part of his mind to maintain the defense of his cellular structure. Another part slid through the implant hooked to his brain. For a brief moment the Doctor was taken aback by the never-ending space surrounded by constant streaks of blue light.

He had entered the Daleks' central network.

Like a ghost he floated through the billions of transmissions. A din of voices surrounded him, reporting on ship's speed and course, assimilation progress, weapons status and countless other functions.

The Doctor wasn't interested in any of that.

Lighting bolts of pain ripped through his body. The Doctor nearly stopped his progress, but managed to push himself through this cyber mindscape. He detached more of his mind back to his body to deal with the Daleks' cellular attack. He had to keep going through the central network.

"SENSORS HAVE DETECTED FIVE HUNDRED LARGE VESSELS AND NUMEROUS SHUTTLECRAFT AT THE EDGE OF THE PYQUAN SYSTEM!!"

A burst of surprise rippled through the Doctor's mind. He deviated from his course and found a node to take him into the Daleks' sensors. Brilliant white walls suddenly appeared in front of him. Security protocols to block illegal access. The Doctor's mind easily bypassed them. He halted his progress and beheld the sensor picture.

Directly in front of the Dalek cubes floated hundreds of ships belonging to Starfleet, the Klingons, the Romulans and the Cardassians. The Doctor mentally shook his head. How could so many ships arrive here in such a short time?

Bolts of pain jolted him. He briefly switched his focus to his body. More cells fell to Dalek attack. His selective regeneration slowed the onslaught, but for how long?

"FOUR HUNDRED SHUTTLECRAFT APPROACHING OUR POSITION!!" The Doctor heard a disembodied Dalek voice bellow through the central network. "ANALYSIS BY BATTLE COMPUTERS INDICATES THIS IS LIKELY AN ATTEMPT TO RESCUE PRISONERS UNDERGOING ASSIMILATION!!"

The Doctor mentally frowned. The last thing he wanted was to be rescued.

"WE ARE THE DALEKS!!" They broadcast to the allied fleet. "RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!! YOU WILL SURRENDER AND BE ASSIMILATED!!"

No response.

"TARGETS ACQUIRED!! EXTERMINATE!!"

Dozens of green beams shot from the four cubes. They connected with shuttles and starships . . . and passed right through them.

_What . . . ?_

Then he saw an explosion. A small one. To the Doctor's surprise dozens of spaceships shimmered and vanished.

"THE APPROACHING SHIPS ARE HOLOGRAMS!! ANALYSIS BY BATTLE COMPUTERS INDICATES IT IS AN ATTEMPT BY STARFLEET AND ITS ALLIES TO DETER US FROM ASSIMILATING THE PYQUAN SYSTEM!! THERE IS NO THREAT TO THE DALEKS!! MAINTAIN COURSE!!"

The Doctor gave a mental shake of the head. This looked like something Picard would pull, but to what end?

He had no time to ponder it. The Doctor's consciousness soared across the central network. Every few seconds he felt bites of sharp pain as his DNA was being rewritten.

_Just hold on. I'm almost there. I can feel it._

He plunged through the billions of transmissions. More walls popped up in front of him that he easily skirted. A pressure built up around him. Heavy blankets of logic, of survival instincts, of the drive to conquer.

He'd just entered the Dalek mind.

The Doctor pushed through.

A huge obsidian wall stood before him. Electric tingles raced through his mind. He forgot all about the pain, of the raging battle within the cells of his body. Right now this wall was the only thing in the universe that mattered to him.

He looked for a way around, but found none. He tried to go over the wall to no avail.

_Only one way left._

The Doctor gathered his mind and propelled it into the dark wall.

XXXXXXX

"Dalek cubes are passing us," Si'lee called out from the shuttle's cockpit. "Passive scans indicate no sign of weapons lock. I think we fooled them."

Rose's muscles relaxed just a bit. Her heart still raced. It sounded as though this part of the plan worked, but that couldn't erase the fear of knowing four cubes full of Daleks floated just outside this shuttlecraft.

She still had to shake her head over Picard's plan. When he presented it, Rose couldn't help but stare at him with her mouth agape. The whole thing sounded like something the Doctor would concoct.

With the help of engineers and science team members, unmanned probes from the remaining ships had been modified with holodeck emitters to create the illusion of a vast fleet of ships defending the Pyquan System. Hidden among the ghost ships were real shuttlecraft like this one, their shield harmonics changed to give off readings similar to that of a hologram. The real starships, meanwhile, took up station behind the system's outermost planet, rigged for silent running.

Rose glanced at the other Starfleet personnel around her. Worf, Crusher and eight other men, women and . . . whatever. On the humans at least she could see the nervousness in their eyes and their tense muscles. She wondered if their stomachs had contracted into tight balls like hers.

"All cubes have passed Point Alpha," announced Si'lee. "Activating sensors."

Rose swallowed a breath as the Cactian's furry finger stabbed the console. For a brief second she regretted arguing with Captain Picard to let her accompany the rescue team. It was actually Dr. Crusher who made the point it might be beneficial to have her come along.

"Depending on how far along the Doctor's assimilation is, it could make our rescue easier if he sees a familiar face. Someone he has a strong emotional attachment with."

Rose wished Crusher had just kept her mouth shut. That thought, however, died after a moment. She knew she'd go mad if she had to sit and wait on _Enterprise_. The Doctor had helped her plenty of times before. Now it was her turn to help him.

"One Time Lord bio-sign acquired," reported Si'lee. "Coordinates locked. Activating emergency transport."

Rose closed her eyes as her entire body tingled.

XXXXXX

_Dammit._ The Doctor wanted to shout when he sensed the new arrivals on the Dalek cube. Worf, Crusher, Si'lee . . . and Rose. Just once, couldn't he have a companion that actually did what he told them?

He pushed aside the worry. The wall was his sole concern right now.

The Doctor's mind reared back and came forward, striking the dark surface. Cracks started to form. He hit it again and again. The cracks spread out. His entire essence vibrated, like trapping a thunderstorm in a garbage can. He fought through it and rammed the wall. Pieces of it fell away.

_Come on. You're almost through!_

Another strike. An entire section crumbled.

"INTRUDERS DETECTED!!" The Doctor heard a Dalek on the fringes of his mind. "ASSIMILATE OR EXTERMINATE?"

"EXTERMINATE!!"

Fear paralyzed him. Part of his mind scanned the cube. He saw Rose running behind Worf and Crusher. The chief medical officer held a scanner and directed them through the maze of corridors leading to the Doctor's chamber.

A dozen Daleks moved from various parts of the cube toward them.

_COME ON!!_

Anger fueled the Doctor's next mind charge. The wall shook.

_One more. Just one more._

With a mental war cry he hurled himself at the wall. It exploded into thousands of black splinters.

Another obsidian wall lay right behind it.

_DAMMIT!!_

He pounded on it relentlessly. Small cracks started to form. The Doctor continued to bang at the wall. It felt much stronger than the previous one.

A jolt of pain ripped through him. He felt Dalek DNA surge through his body. A sick feeling overcame him.

_Don't stop! Not now!_

The Doctor summoned ever ounce of anger in him and rammed the wall. More cracks formed. He bellowed something unintelligible and hit it again and again. The cracks grew larger.

Invisible hands reached into his very essence and took pieces of his strength, his emotions. His mind shuddered.

The Doctor was turning into a Dalek.

_No . . . I . . . won't!_

He battered the wall. A couple black pieces tumbled away into nothingness.

His strength continued to ebb.

_Just . . . a few more . . ._

He stopped when he scanned Rose and the Starfleet personnel running down a corridor. Ahead of them three Daleks turned the corner and cut them off.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

_**Next . . . The Final Battle**_


	9. Chapter 9

Rose yelped as Worf shoved her into an empty Dalek/Borg chamber. She thudded against the wall. Pain hammered her shoulder as the mechanical shrieks echoed outside.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

Flashes of red and blue shot past her. Rose dared to peek around the chamber door.

Two Starfleet people lay dead. Worf and the others took cover wherever they could find it. The air shrieked and sizzled with energy blasts. Worf, Si'lee and a tall black woman – Jenkins, Rose recalled her name – concentrated their phaser fire on the eyestalk of the lead Dalek. Seconds later a shower of sparks exploded from its dome-shaped head.

"MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!! I CANNOT SEE!! MY VISION IS IMPAIRED!! I CANNOT SEE!!"

Another burst of phaser beams struck the Dalek. A gusher of flames erupted from its casing.

Worf and the others fired at the remaining two Daleks. Their shields blocked every beam.

Two more Daleks rolled up behind them.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

"Tyler!" Worf bellowed over the whine of energy beams. "EM Disrupter!"

Rose removed her back pack and pulled out a cylindrical device the size of a small waste can with a teardrop-shaped top. Back on _Enterprise_ Worf had made it clear if she was to accompany the rescue team she'd have to make herself useful. So they turned her into a pack mule, and this Electromagnetic Disrupter was one of the items she had to carry.

"Hurry!"

Rose glanced around the edge of the chamber. She darted back when a Dalek ray flashed inches from her. Fear sent her heart into overdrive. A vice clamped over her body, preventing her from moving.

_Give him the Disrupter._

Rose still couldn't move.

_Do it or the Doctor dies!_

With tears in her eyes, Rose took another glance around the edge. Beams streaked around her non-stop. With a desperate grunt she rolled the EM Disrupter across the floor. Worf reached out, grabbed it, and disappeared from view.

"They're advancing!" Si'lee shouted.

Rose glimpsed the four Daleks rolling down the corridor. Phaser beams impacted harmlessly against their shields.

"EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

"Exterminate this!"

Worf flung the EM Disrupter toward the Daleks.

XXXXX

The Doctor briefly turned his attention away from attacking the wall and observed the EM Disrupter bounce in front of the Daleks. He mentally gulped. Part of him wanted it to work, but another part didn't.

_No. If it can save Rose it's worth it._

A wave of dizziness swept through him. He felt more of his essence ripped away.

The Doctor turned back to the wall. Did he have the strength to . . .

The top of the Disrupter opened and emitted a brief blue flash.

The Daleks halted. Their guns fell silent.

"THE LINK TO THE COLLECTIVE IS BROKEN!!" One of them cried. "RE-ESTABLISH!! RE-ESTABLISH!!"

Invisible hands no longer pulled apart The Doctor's consciousness. He sensed signals from the EM Disrupter blasting through the various systems and nodes of the collective. Hundreds of Daleks were suddenly cut off.

The Doctor mentally groaned. He needed the links to the Daleks intact.

Newfound strength surged through him. Surprised, the Doctor focused on his body.

The assimilation process had stopped.

The Doctor's consciousness soared. His cells mounted a counter-attack. More and more Dalek DNA succumb to his selective regeneration.

He briefly looked in on Rose, Worf and the others. The Starfleet team sent a barrage of phaser fire at the Daleks, who were too confused by their separation with the collective to defend themselves. One after another they exploded.

The Doctor turned back to the obsidian wall. Steeling himself, he charged with every ounce of strength he could muster.

The wall shattered.

The Doctor halted and stared in amazement at the sight before him.

A glowing ball of energy floated in empty space. Patches of colors - red, blue, black, white, purple, green, orange – swirled over the surface.

Joy spread throughout his consciousness. He'd finally reached all the emotions the Daleks had suppressed.

The Doctor dove headlong into the pulsating ball. All he needed now was for the Daleks to repair the damage done to the collective.

XXXXX

"Move! We don't have much time!"

Rose's lungs burned as she ran to keep up with the rescue team. Distant Dalek voices bounced off the dark walls of the cube, wailing in confusion and fear. _Was that possible for Daleks?_

"This way!" Crusher hollered, glancing between her handheld scanner and the corridor in front of them.

The team turned left. Rose's heart pounded, both from running and the hope of seeing the Doctor, seeing him alive.

A dark, cold hand of fear clenched her chest. What if he'd already been turned into a Dalek? Would there be any way to help him?

"Two Daleks approaching," Crusher warned them.

"I hope they haven't adapted to the EM Disrupter," said Jenkins.

The Daleks rounded the corner. Worf held up a hand to halt the team. Every brought up their phasers.

The lead Dalek turned to them. Rose chewed on her bottom lip, hoping to hear more cries to re-establish their link to the collective.

"INTRUDERS LOCATED!! EXTERMINATE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

XXXXX

The Doctor reached out with hundreds of mental fingers, pulling at chunks of the emotional ball, breaking them free and sending them to the surface.

XXXXX

Rose noticed an alcove to her right and started for it.

"NO!! I WON'T KILL!!"

Rose froze, her wide eyes aimed at the Daleks. The Starfleet people around her looked equally surprised as they gaped at the second Dalek.

"I AM NOT A MURDERER!! I WILL NOT KILL!!"

The lead Dalek swung its entire body toward its partner. "I DETECT EMOTIONS EMANATING FROM YOU!! YOU ARE DEFECTIVE!! YOU ARE A RISK TO THE COLLECTIVE!! EXTERMINATE!!"

The second Dalek backed up. "NO!! WAIT!! PLEASE!!"

"EXTERMINATE!!"

The lead Dalek fired. The upper half of the second one disappeared in flames.

"Now!" Worf hollered. "Concentrate your fire!"

Half-a-dozen phaser beams struck the remaining Dalek. A shower of sparks and fire blew off its head. Slime streamed down the casing from the dying creature inside.

"I don't understand." Si'lee shook her cat-like head. "What made that Dalek act like that?"

"Maybe the EM Disrupter did something to it," Jenkins offered.

"That can't be it. Why would it affect one and not the other?"

Rose drew a deep breath. "The Doctor. It has to be him."

XXXXX

The Doctor grabbed emotions like pieces of string, yanking them free. Lines of glowing rainbow colors streaked through the cyberscape that was the Dalek collective. They spilled into dozens, then hundreds of Dalek minds. The distinct personalities of assimilated humans, Klingons, Romulans, Vulcans, Andorians and numerous other races re-emerged.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!"

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!!"

"MOMMY!! I WANT MY MOMMY!!"

"YOU SHALL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME!!"

That came from an assimilated Klingon, who rolled through the corridors in his Dalek body firing at anything in his path. He destroyed six Daleks before meeting his end.

Other Daleks lashed at their former comrades. Dozens of pitched battles erupted throughout the four cubes.

The Doctor threw more strings of emotion into the collective.

"DOCTOR!! CEASE YOUR ACTIONS IMMEDIDATELY!!" It was the Emperor Dalek.

"_Fascinating things, emotions."_ The Doctor released another string. _"Despite all your technological advancements, despite your melding with the Borg, you still can't totally eliminate emotions. The best you can do is suppress them. But what happens when all those emotions are suddenly released?"_

He let loose another string of emotions.

"YOU WILL CEASE!! OBEY!! OBEY!!"

The Doctor sent more emotions streaming through the collective.

"YOU WILL BE STOPPED!! YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT THE DALEKS AGAIN!!"

The obsidian wall started to reform.

XXXXX

"Sanginni to _Enterprise. _Multiple prisoners secured. Several EM Disrupters detonated."

Picard tapped his comm badge twice, acknowledging the observation post set up on Pyquan Ten below monitoring the approaching Dalek cubes. He then looked to the ceiling. "Mister LaForge. Power up all systems."

"Powering up, aye."

The lights in the bridge snapped on. Consoles came to life. The hum of the engines reverberated through the ship. Slowly it soared toward the ice planet's north pole, followed by the fourteen remaining ships of the combined fleet.

When _Enterprise _crested the pole, the view screen displayed the four Dalek cubes in the distance.

"Red alert! Shields up! Standby all phaser banks. All transporters, be ready to beam our people out on a moment's notice."

A female groan caught his attention. He turned to Reela, who clutched her forehead. Her face contorted in pain.

"Counselor? What's wrong?"

She drew a staggered breath. "Emotions . . . from the cube. So many. It hit me like a meteorite."

"Emotions from our people?" asked Leroth.

"No. It's from the Daleks."

Picard canted his head. "How is that possible?"

Reela shook her head, her face still strained. "I don't know. But there's so much. Anger, fear, confusion, total madness."

"Captain, look!" Acosta hollered and pointed to the screen.

Picard turned. His eyes widened when he saw one cube open fire on another.

"Transporter room! Get our people off the third cube now!"

"Aye, Captain."

Leroth swung his chair around to face Picard. "I don't know how or why this is happening, but we have to take advantage of it."

"Agreed." Picard nodded. "Picard to fleet. Prepare to engage the Daleks."

XXXXX

The Doctor groaned against the strain, trying to keep the wall open as the Emperor Dalek fought to close it. More strings of emotions wriggled past him. His consciousness explored the various cubes. Dalek turned on Dalek. Several went mad when their prior personalities emerged and realized their predicament. Two cubes exchanged fire. Awe filled the Doctor when he saw one cube speed toward the other and crash into it. Even in cyberspace he felt the tremors from the massive explosion.

"YOU SHALL PAY FOR YOUR TREACHERY, DOCTOR!! YOU SHALL PAY!!"

"'_Pay for my treachery?' That sounds like a rather emotional response."_

"I AM IMMUNE TO EMOTIONS!! YOU SHALL BE STOPPED!! YOU SHALL BE EXTERMINATED!!"

"Doctor!"

Surprise exploded within him. The female voice echoed through cyberspace, sounding so familiar.

"Doctor!"

_Rose?_

Part of his mind raced back to his body. He saw Rose hovering in front of him, tears rolling down her cheeks. Dr. Crusher and Si'lee stood on either side of him, removing his implants.

The Doctor turned back to the glowing ball of emotions. Satisfaction washed over him. He'd done enough damage. Time to go.

He leaped through the wall, which reformed an instant later. The Doctor focused his thoughts toward the Emperor Dalek.

"_This time, stay dead."_

The cyberscape vanished.

Fatigue saturated his muscles. He wanted to collapse and fall into a deep sleep that lasted for days. Somehow, he managed to keep his eyes open as Crusher slapped something on his chest. His blurry gaze locked onto the blond girl in front of him.

"Rose?"

A sob burst from her throat. Through the tears she managed a smile.

"Crusher to _Enterprise. _Beam us directly to sickbay."

A blue static field fell over the Doctor.

XXXXX

"All rescue teams have been beamed off the cubes," Leroth announced.

Picard nodded. "Then let's end this. All ships . . . open fire."

A barrage of energy beams and torpedoes streaked through space. Explosions ripped through the remaining cubes. They didn't fight back, they didn't adapt. Within minutes they were reduced to smoldering wreckage floating in space.

XXXXX

The Doctor felt himself lying down. He blinked his heavy eyelids and stared up at the high white ceiling. To his left he saw Dr. Crusher running a medical tricorder over him. She looked to someone across the bed from her.

"The assimilation is nowhere near complete. We'll be able to reverse it. He'll be fine."

Someone grabbed his hand. The Doctor rolled his head right and saw Rose over him.

"Rose?" The name came out in a whisper.

"Yes, Doctor?"

He licked his lips. "Didn't I tell you not to come after me?"

The Doctor smiled and fell asleep.

_**NEXT: THE CONCLUSION**_


	10. Chapter 10

_(ONE WEEK LATER)_

The Doctor grinned wide as he strode through the corridors of the _USS Enterprise_. For the first time in days he finally felt like his old self. And it was great to get the hell out of sickbay. Much as he liked Dr. Crusher, the woman did tend to act like a mother hen at times.

"I am over nine hundred years old, you know," he had told her once.

"I don't care if you're older than the universe," she replied. "I'm your doctor, _Doctor._ So shut up and do what I tell you."

But between her skills and his body's selective regeneration, he was now Dalek/Borg free.

"It appears once again the Federation is in your debt, Doctor," Picard said as he walked alongside him.

"Oh, think nothing of it." The Doctor gave him a dismissive wave.

Leroth snorted. "You call willingly letting yourself be assimilated in order to defeat the Daleks nothing?"

"Well, that was the only way I could get into their collective and release all those suppressed emotions." He turned to Rose. "Which is why I told you not to come after me."

Rose's mouth twisted. "And I suppose you would have rather stayed on that cube when it blew up?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Well, I would have figured out some way to get out . . . eventually . . . maybe. Oh well, it all worked out well in the end."

They entered one of the ship's gymnasiums. The Doctor's chest swelled when he saw the familiar blue box standing in the corner, just where he had left it the week before when he and Rose landed on _Enterprise._

"Are you sure you can't stay a little longer, Doctor?" asked Picard. "Our scanners detected the ruins of an ancient civilization on a nearby planet, Tarolos Five."

The Doctor's eyes lit up. "Oh yes, Tarolos Five. Interesting people. Purple fur, three legs. Produced extraordinary music. A shame what happened to them."

"See. Your knowledge would be of great help to us."

The Doctor responded with a mock frown. "Sorry, Captain. I'd love to help, but the secrets of Tarolos Five are something you'll have to discover on your own. Isn't that what your motto is anyway? 'To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before.' Sort of spoil the fun if I just told you everything."

Picard chuckled. "Good point." He extended his hand. "Take care, Doctor. Miss Tyler. I do hope we meet again."

"In this crazy universe, you never know where I might wind up. Or when. Oh, and if you can do me a favor, Captain?"

"Of course."

"Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino."

Picard cranked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino. From Starbucks. Love the stuff. If you can arrange it so next time I wind up on a Federation starship, someone gives me one of those instead of throwing me in the brig as usual, that would be splendid."

- THE END –

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** _Thanks for reading. If you liked this story, you'll enjoy my new original alien invasion novel "Dark Wings," available at Amazon and as an e-book at smashwords-dot-com._


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